Saturday 29 April 2006

cycling on a dodgy tire

"...a nod of mutual agreement about anything in-particular to the heavily built second-hand-dealing, and balding giant, who is a frequenter of Christchurch's garage sales..."

Yesterday I looked at the tire of my brother's bike. The back tire was looking a bit dodgy. the canvas was starting to show through, and the tube was bulging out a bit. Early this morning when I looked at the front tire, I saw that it, too was almost at the end of it's journey, so to speak.

...I drifted into semi-conciousness. automatically raising my wrist to infront of my face, where I could read my watch, I saw that it was 6:40am or thereabouts. Quickly pulling on my brother's pair of shorts, that are getting close to the length of a pair of 3/4's, but not quite. Pulling my jersey with the t-shirt still inside it from last night, over my head, I stood up. My 70's as, and very comfortable flowery orange mattress was on the floor. screwing up my duvet and large double sheet, which, when folded over does the job, and threw it between the large inset wardrobe, and the other clothes cupboard, - ontop of a box with some other clothes on it. My pillow followed suit. Folding the mattress in half with my foot, I was able to open the bedroom door and head for the bathroom. Just a few drops of cold water.

And dammit, I've got a sore throat. Drinking a couple of handfulls of the water doesn't help. Deciding that socks would be wise, I head back into my room and find a clean pair of sports socks that almost match. Ready for whatever the day might throw at me, I went down to the kitchen to unpack the dishwasher. Having got the dishwasher out of the way, it was time to check out the Garage Sales in the Buy-Sell. With a well laid out list of half a dozen or so promising looking Garage sales, I was just about ready to go. Back in my room again, I pulled on my Jeans, tightening the belt one notch more than I did usually. strapping my helmet over my NY cap, and having put the list I'd made, and the mapbook out of the car into my backpack, I walked to the front door.

Lifeless and heavy, sullen and all-enveloping, the mist hit me. With not even a look back at the closing wooden door behind me, I strode into the forboding environment. Almost blivious to the rain drenched seat, and briefly wiping some of the water off with my hand, I pulled the bike out of it's stand and jumped on. The sponge handle-bar covers were pleasently soaked. It was about 7:15 as I pulled out of our driveway. a few minutes later, as I pedalled furiously down Maidstone Road, (a straight and long road, heading towards where I was), I slowed my pace a bit. Putting my earphones in my ears, I then (fool-hardily) pulled out my iPod and stuck the 3 1/4 jack into it, - which made the screen light up. I think it was Ray Comfort who was speaking, but it was too early in the morning for evangalical motivation, so I switched to Poor Old Lu

First stop, 111 Maidstone Road. This garage sale was not a little bit a complete and utterly miserable failure, and so with little more than a nod of mutual agreement about anything in-particular to the heavily built second-hand-dealing, and balding giant, who is a frequenter of Christchurch's garage sales, I thanked my hosts and lost no time getting on my way...

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